Continuing Downward



2 Kings 13:1-9
1 In the twenty-third year of Joash the son of Ahaziah, king of Judah, Jehoahaz the son of Jehu began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and he reigned seventeen years.
2 He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and followed the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin; he did not depart from them.
3 And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he gave them continually into the hand of Hazael king of Syria and into the hand of Ben-hadad the son of Hazael.
4 Then Jehoahaz sought the favor of the Lord, and the Lord listened to him, for he saw the oppression of Israel, how the king of Syria oppressed them.
5 (Therefore the Lord gave Israel a savior, so that they escaped from the hand of the Syrians, and the people of Israel lived in their homes as formerly.
6 Nevertheless, they did not depart from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, which he made Israel to sin, but walked in them; and the Asherah also remained in Samaria.)
7 For there was not left to Jehoahaz an army of more than fifty horsemen and ten chariots and ten thousand footmen, for the king of Syria had destroyed them and made them like the dust at threshing.
8 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoahaz and all that he did, and his might, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?
9 So Jehoahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria, and Joash his son reigned in his place.

The downward spiral for the nation of Israel continues during the reign of Jehoahaz. He had 17 years to effect some positive change for the nation, but of course he follows in the idolatrous ways of his fathers and things do not improve. God uses Hazael of Syria to try and get the attention of his wayward children to some small effect. Johoahaz does turn to God briefly to beg for mercy but makes no changes in the worship life of his people. Once again we see that God wants to show mercy and kindness to his children but they make that impossible.

Turning to God only when we are in trouble and can’t get out under our own power is a tragic mistake. First of all, that is no way to treat the all-powerful God of the universe. God’s desire is after our hearts. He loves us enough to have sacrificed His Son for us and yet we struggle to be in relationship with Him. If my daughters only spoke to me when they wanted something from me would break my heart. Can God be any different?

With the story of Jehoahaz we once again see that there was still opportunity to turn the entire nation around. Jehoahaz could have truly repented and turned back to God, offering up his heart to God in worship and adoration. But instead, he taps God on the shoulder and seeks only relief from the current pain but not genuine relationship. We are no different than the ancient people of Israel. We can be just as fickle and disingenuous. But through the work of the Holy Spirit, we can also be different. The Holy Spirit empowers us to love God and to walk with Him instead of away from Him so that when we ask God for something, that request comes out of genuine relationship rather than a desire to “use” God and His mercy.

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